


the bodyguard

by zauberer_sirin



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Daisy Takes Control, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Forgiveness, Future Fic, Guilt, Romance, mentions of Hive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-21
Updated: 2016-04-21
Packaged: 2018-06-03 15:08:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6615301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zauberer_sirin/pseuds/zauberer_sirin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the next Inhuman sympsium Coulson brings Daisy along as his bodyguard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the bodyguard

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Skyepilot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyepilot/gifts).



Daisy turns to him, delighted.

“Did you see that guy’s face when you called me your _bodyguard_?”

Coulson leaves his glass of champagne with the waiter and straightens his suit.

“You _are_ my bodyguard. I presented them with the papers beforehand.”

“I don’t think they were expecting… well, _me_.”

Coulson smiles at her. “They obviously don’t know you.”

Daisy smirks back, feeling the heat in her cheeks from the compliment. She’s happy that this is not likely to be a combat op - after everything that’s happened she’s trying to take a break from using her powers. She hasn’t had that luxury for a while, she was _needed_ , all her strength was needed too. It’s not like she had a choice.

But looking around this room… if Coulson gets into trouble she can protect him with her regular ol’ SHIELD skills (in her mind she calls them “ _skillz_ ”, which probably means she’s in a good mood).

And that’s the other thing about today, protecting Coulson. That’s her task. _Protecting_. That feels good, after everything. She’s here to be Coulson’s shield, in case something goes south.

It means a lot to her, that Coulson asked for this, that she believed it was a good call. The idea that she’s here because _he’s safe with her_.

The other guests are beginning to enter the conference room.

Most of the experts on the panel are Inhuman sympathizers this time around, so that’s progress as well. Coulson doesn’t have to start from a defensive position.

“You should be inside that room,” he tells her, looking incredibly guilty.

They have talked about this the whole trip here, they have talked about this while they dropped their bags at the hotel, they even talked about it on the taxi ride. She knows how he feels about this.

“It’s okay, you’re an excellent advocate for us Inhumans,” she tells him. “Until we get a seat at the table. I trust you.”

He takes a good look at her.

“I always wanted my own personal bodyguard, you know?”

“Well, you just scream if someone attacks you in there.”

He smiles, trying hard, for her. “I feel safer already.”

She watches him squint at the door, hesitant to leave her.

“It’s fine,” she says. “I get to play Inhuman bodyguard to the Director of SHIELD. It’s not a bad gig, is it?”

“I guess not.”

“Now get in there and don’t fight with the other kids.”

 

+

 

“Do you mind if we take a walk? I don’t feel like staying in that stuffy hotel right now.”

Daisy nods, surprised to hear Coulson use the word stuffy, and following outside and down the street.

She doesn’t press him at first so they walk around the block in silence before she says anything.

“What happened in the reunion, Coulson?” she asks.

“Nothing happened,” he says. “Not really.”

“Then why are you getting so moody all of the sudden?”

He makes a frustrated sound. “It was all talk. No steps towards improving the safety of Inhumans or bringing anti-groups to justice.”

More or less what Daisy expected. A glorified brunch. “Experts” playing humanitarian. Or Inhumanitarian in this case.

“I see.”

“I thought things would progress faster,” he confesses. “But they are still talking about the Inhumans like…”

He doesn’t finish. Especially not in front of her, like it’s too soon for her. Coulson has been good on not pressuring her too much about hurrying up and embracing self-forgiveness or something like that (that would be rich, coming from him) and just let her do her own thing at her own rhythm - Coulson knows a bit about this, she guesses he knew how important letting her _choose_ forgiveness was going to be. And a tiny part of Daisy agrees with what must have been said in the meeting. She knows she’s dangerous. But she knows she doesn’t have to listen to that tiny self-loathing part anymore.

“They’re always going to talk about us like that,” Daisy says. “You are a white guy so you don’t know how this works but-”

Coulson chuckles.

“Thank you,” he says, mouth soft around the edges and hands in his pockets. The night is a bit too cold for the suit he’s wearing.

Daisy knows that trying to negotiate on behalf of the Inhumans is a way for Coulson to atone for what he believes he did, for being the cause of so much suffering and death among Daisy’s kind. He’s been quiet about it too - probably just trying to respect her own guilt in the matter when he’s around her - but Daisy knows him. She knows what’s going through his head right now because it’s the exact same thing Daisy would be thinking if she were in his shoes.

“But seriously, I wasn’t expecting a miracle here, Coulson. Just… a first step. That’s enough, right?”

“You should have been in that room,” he repeats, like before the meeting.

“I will be,” she says. “Someday. Soon. We’ll make sure of it.”

He still doesn’t look convinced, or rather, he still looks deflated. Wanting to believe her, her optimism, but feeling he’s failed her again.

Daisy smiles up and him, places the palm of her hand over his heart, pushing him a bit, jokingly.

“Come on, let me buy you a beer,” she says.

Coulson frowns.

“You’re the one whose existence is being attacked here and you want to buy _me_ a beer.”

“I’m a very nice person,” she tells him.

“You are.”

“Come on. I think I saw a bar back there. ”

 

+

 

The place, more a club than a bar, is loud, which fits Coulson, because it distracts him.

“You feel like you’re not doing enough, I get it, believe me,” she tells him.

“You’re very calm about this.”

She shrugs.

“Well, the way I see it weeks ago my existence was officially illegal and then some judge said that no, it was okay for my people to exist. And a month ago I was being hunted by government black ops wanting to kill me. So it’s progress. And we were the ones who made it possible.”

And two months ago she was being controlled by a murder parasite, she doesn’t say, but Coulson knows it’s implied there. It’s always there. Daisy is finally okay with that. It’s part of what she is, and she is focused on the future right now. Today was a good step - for her. Of course the world will never move as fast as she needs it to move, but the fact that she is out here in the open and no one is trying to put her in a cage or tag her like an animal gives her the freedom she needs to speed things up.

She wishes Coulson could see it too, focus on the future. But she knows Coulson is slower at this stuff, slower than her.

Until now it hasn’t occurred to Daisy that maybe she should just pull him along.

“Come on, Phil, let’s dance and forget our worries,” she tells him, turning.

He gives her a raised eyebrow, but he doesn’t look opposed to the idea.

“Is it okay for me to dance with my bodyguard?” he asks, sly.

“We’re both rule-breakers,” she tells him, threading their finger together and guiding him to the dance floor.

Coulson squeezes her hand, “Yes, we are.”

 

+

 

Coulson grabs her arm when they reach Daisy’s hotel room.

“What?” she asks, worried by his unusual impulse. They’ve had a good time in the club, dancing (Daisy doesn’t like dancing much, Coulson does, what a surprise), drinking expensive beer and having half-shouted conversations slamming half the people in the symposium.

Coulson stares out at her, like he’s trying to figure her out.

“Is it okay for me to kiss my bodyguard?” he asks.

Daisy smiles.

So Coulson is finally quicker than her, for once.

 

+

 

She wraps her legs around his waist and at the last moment - the moment _before_ \- Coulson hesitates.

“Is it okay for me to have sex with my bodyguard?”

This time she doesn’t smile.

“Cut it out,” she tells him, arching her body to take his lips between hers.

“Yes, yes, I’ll stop,” Coulson says, smiling apologetically, touching her face with adoration and kissing her brow and cheeks before pushing inside her for the first time.

“You okay?” he asks, before he starts moving.

Daisy nods. She’s not expecting a miracle here, just a first step.

Coulson is careful with her but she holds him tight against her, locking her ankles behind his legs and her fingers behind his neck, moving with him. There’s still that bit inside of hers that’s afraid she’s going to hurt him, like he hurt him before - like she hurt everybody - but that tiny part is _all hers_ , no one is controlling that, so that means it’s okay. 

He’s safe with her.


End file.
